noun
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an object used for or capable of holding, esp for transport or storage, such as a carton, box, etc
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a large cargo-carrying standard-sized container that can be loaded from one mode of transport to another
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( as modifier )
a container port
a container ship
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Etymology
Origin of container
1400–50 for an earlier sense; 1495–1505 container for def. 1; late Middle English conteiner; see contain, -er 1
Explanation
A container holds things inside it. Bags, boxes, buckets, and pockets are all containers. The purpose of a container is to carry, hold, or store something. You might buy nuts at the grocery store, then bring them home and put them in a container, or you could put your leftover pasta in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for tomorrow's lunch. The thing all containers have in common is that they contain, or hold, things. Both words are rooted in the Latin continere, "to hold together or enclose."
Vocabulary lists containing container
"Earth and Space"
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"Introduction to Homeland Security," Vocabulary from Chapter 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The home goods retailer will resurface through the rebranding of 98 The Container Store locations, including 12 storefronts in California, the company announcedon Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
Container ships are more likely to operate on time charters than the spot market.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
LG&P loaded up Joann Fabrics and the Container Store with debt, then drove them into bankruptcy.
From Slate • Mar. 17, 2026
The Drewry’s World Container Index increased 8% to $2,123 per 40-foot container this week.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026
“You’re not going to get any. You’re going to get eighty shares of stock in a company called the Memorial Wooden Container Corporation.”
From "Lawn Boy" by Gary Paulsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
